Public Attitudes Toward Police 59Research has demonstrated that police tend to view themselves and their pro-
fession in both an ideological and a traditional fashion. These belief systems were
found to be significantly correlated with police worldviews of their profession as
a sort of "craftsmanship." In turn, this craftsmanship belief system was found to
be associated with favorable attitudes of police toward certain aspects of their jobs,
such as antipathy toward the due process system, the police code of secrecy, and
the tendency to use "street justice" in resolving conflicts (Crank, Payn, & Jackson,
1993),
The ways in which police handle themselves, from their demeanor at a traffic stop
to control of a hostile situation, naturally leads citizens to form opinions regarding
police practices. Another question related to this is how police view themselves. In
other words, attitudes from police toward their own practices may have important
implications for the public's perception of these same practices. It is with this notion
that Crank et al. (1993) conducted a research study examining the relationship
between police belief systems and attitudes toward law enforcement practices.
Results of the above experimental question revealed that police tend to see
themselves as professionals who, like most other professions, engage in a craft. This
craftsmanship holds a large degree of influence on police attitudes toward the world
in general, and three other traditional police practices in particular. These practices
are, as mentioned above, antipathy toward due process, the code of secrecy, and the
tendency to resolve citizen confrontations with "street justice."
The results of Crank et al. (1993), tabulated from over 205 members of various
Illinois police departments, indicated that attitudes congruent with the described
police practices are associated with the police view of themselves as types of crafts-
men in a specialized trade. Further, the feelings of police as being professionals
contributes a modest relationship to these attitudes.
As a result of these attitudes regarding police and the criminal justice system,
what steps can be taken to help alleviate tensions between the media and law
enforcement? As mentioned earlier, cop shows which allow cameras to accompany
officers in the line of duty help to blur the line between police and society. However,
some may argue that this relationship is biased and distorted and that only successful
and properly handled scenarios actually make it to prime-time episodes.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has been particularly vocal in its
stance to promote healthy and professional relations between media and the police.
Francis Dunphy, a special agent with the FBI, and Gerald Garner, a member of
the Lakewood, Colorado, Police Department have developed what they believe
represent guidelines a law enforcement agency can use to interact effectively with
the news media. These measures include everything from making good eye contact
with the audience, to "predicting the future," in which an officer tells the press
of an upcoming situation or event which may interest them (Dunphy & Garner,
1992).
Implementing programs and educating law enforcement agents regarding the
sensitive relations between police and societal views will no doubt help influence